Brush



Aug. 12, 1958 w. L. ROYALL BRUSH Filed March 4, 1954 IN VEN TOR. WILLIAM L. ROYALL 4/3 AITTOE/VEYS' nited States BRUSH William L. Royall, Port Chester, N. Y. Application March 4, 1954, Serial No. 414,187 9 Claims. (Cl. 15-145) This invention relates to cleaning implements, such brushes, mops, dusters and the like, and particularly to handles for implements of this general organization wherein the cleaning head of the implement may be adjusted relative to the handle so that a difierent wearing surface may be provided as needed.

In many different types of cleaning implements, the cleaning heads are firmly and permanently mounted to a handle in a fixed position, and even though only a small part of the cleaning head is exposed to wear, the entire implement is completely useless as soon as that surface has become worn. This is particularly true of curved type brushes, that is to say, brushes wherein the bristles are attached to or upon a curved support member, the bristles of only a small arc of the curved support member being subject to extreme use or wear, and of multi-sided brushes wherein the bristles are attached to or upon a polygonal support member, the bristles of only one side or a fractional number of the sides being subject to extreme use or wear.

The present invention provides a cleaning implement and handle therefor wherein the handle comprises elements which are easily locked together and then separated. The handle elements when locked together may support a brush or other cleaning attachment, and when the elements are separated, the brush or other cleaning attachment may be readily adjusted to present a different surface to the position of greatest wear. When the brush or cleaning attachment has been thus adjusted to present a different portion of the brush to the position of greatest wear, the handle elements may be re-locked to maintain the brush or cleaning attachment in the new position.

For a complete understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the detailed description which follows and to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective representation of the handle supporting a brush with the handle elements partially separated;

Pig. 2 is a top view of the handle shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3-7 are cross-sectional views of the handle taken on the lines 3--3, 44, 55, 66, and 77, respectively, of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows:

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 6, but illustrating an alternative form of the handle elements.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1, an attachment, such as a brush 10, is adapted to be supported at one end of a handle comprising upper and lower handle elements 11, 12 respectively. It is clear that the attachment may take a wide variety of other forms. The upper handle element 11 is formed at the attachment supporting end with an elongated neck portion 13 which terminates in a flattened head portion 14. The head portion 14 is provided with two oppositely and outwardly disposed arms 15a and 15b.

The lower handle element 12 also is provided with an elongated neck portion 16 formed at the extreme attachment supporting end with an upwardly curved tongue 17 and sidewardly and oppositely disposed arms 18a and 18b. The head portion M is provided with a slot 19 through which the upwardly curved tongue 17 of the lower handle element 12 may be inserted when the handle elements are to be locked together in brush supporting position. The extreme tip end of the tongue 1'7 is provided with a projecting lip 17a which engages the upper side of the head 14 of the handle element 11 (see Fig. 3), thereby holding together the handle elements at the brush supporting end.

The handle elements may be made of any suitable material, for example, a plastic such as polystyrene. The handles proper are represented in the drawings as being hollow, although that is a matter of preference. The handles proper, when locked together in brushsnpporting relationship, should neatly abut in interlocking fashion. Accordingly, the lower handle element is provided with an upwardly projecting ridge 12a which extends in continuous fashion along both sides of the handle proper, the length of the portion of the ridge On one side being parallel to the length of that portion of the ridge on the other side. As shown in Fig. 6, the lower edge 11a of the upper handle element 11 proper is adapted to overlap the ridge 12a in tight-fitting, interlocking fashion. If the handle is formed of a plastic material, such as polystyrene, the inherent flexibility thereof will afford a sufficiently tight interlock.

The ends of the handle elements 11, 12 opposite the brush-supporting end of the handle may also be provided with a male and female type interlock to facilitate bringing the handle elements together. Accordingly, one element (in this case the upper handle element 11) is provided with a projection 20 and the other (namely, the handle element 12) is provided with a hole 21 adapted to receive the projection Zil when the handle elements are locked together. The locking action of the projection in the hole may be facilitated if one or the other is slightly tapered.

The extreme ends of the handle elements 11, 12 opposite the brush-supporting end of the handle are formed with oppositely disposed extensions 23, 24 each having a semi-circular notch 29 formed therein. When the handle elements 11, 12 are properly fitted together, the oppositely disposed abutting edges of the extensions 23, 2 1 snap together side by side in interlocking, over lapping fashion to form a tab-like formation at the end Of the handle, and the semi-circular notches thereof form an eyelet by means of which the handle may be conveniently hung, such as from a hook.

In the brush of the type represented in Fig. 1, the bristles are attached and supported by a circular support member 25, which in the present case is shown as comprising a plurality of twisted wires curved in a circular fashion and joined together at the opposite ends thereof by a clip 2.7 (see Fig. 1). The support member 25 may also assume a rectangular or polygonal formation.

When the brush 1% is to be mounted to the handle, the brush is placed between the handle elements 11, 12, and the tongue 17 inserted into the slot 19 of the handle element 11. As the handle elements 11, 12 are brought together, the ends of the arms 15a, 15b engage the wire support 25 from one side and the arms 18a and 18b engage the wire support from the opposite side, the wire support being gripped between the arms 15a, 18a at one point and between the arms 15b, 1812 at another point. As shown in Fig. 4, the ends of the upper arms 15a, 15b are curved downwardly and the extreme ends of the arms 18a, 1811 are curved upwardly to meet the ends of the arms 15a, 15b. The ends of the arms 15a, 15b contain notches 32a, 3212, respectively, and the ends of the arms 13a, 18b contain notches 32c, 32d, respectively, the notches 32:2, 1520 serving to facilitate the gripping of the wire support 25 between the arms 15a, 18a, and the notches 321'), 32d serving to facilitate the gripping of the wire support between the arms 15b, 18b. The fiexibility of the arms 15a, 25b and 18a, 13/; will permit them to tightly grip the wire support 35 without danger of breaking.

If the brush is circular, such as the one represented in the drawing, the neck portions 13, E6 of the two handle elements will close together against opposite sides of the wire support 25, thereby gripping it at a third point so that the brush is firmly attached to the handle elements. As best shown in Fig. 3, the brush support member 25 is actually engaged between the surfaces 131:, 16a of the neck portions 13, 16, respectively. It should be understood, of course, that the bristles are held by the sup rt member 25 along the entire closed loop thereof, but that it is expected that the density of the bristles will permit the arms 15a, 15b and 18a, 1812, as well as the surfaces 13a, 16a, to engage the support member through the bristles. if the bristles are too thick, however, they will be compressed between the surfaces 1.311, 160, the brush nevertheless, being held firmly.

As shown in Fig. 5, the bases of the neck portions 13, 16 of the handle elements ii, 12 are notched as at 35 and 34, respectively, forming a pair of teeth on the neck portions 13. 16 which also may close upon the bristles of the brush to clamp the brush securely.

The handle elements 11, 12 are locked together by the interlocking action of the upper edges 11a with the ridges i211 and the wedge action of the projection and hole 20, 21, respectively.

The brush may be easily adjusted relative to the handle to present a new portion thereof to the position of maximum wear by separating the handle elements iii, 12, such as by first separating the interlocking edges of the tap members 23 and 24 and then moving the tab members 23 and 24 in opposite directions with the thumb and torefinger. When the brush has been rotatably adjusted, it may be securely gripped in its new position by re-locking the handle elements together.

An alternative arrangement of the handles 11, 12 is represented in Fig. 8 wherein the upper and lower handle elements 11' and 12, respectively, are made of very flexible material and each formed in semicircular fashion so that thc downwardly disposed edges 3% of the upper element 11 clip on to the outsides of the accommodating upwardly disposed lip portions 31 of the lower element 12.

The invention has been shown and described in preferred forms and by way of example only, and obviously many other modifications and variations may be made therein which will be comprised within the spirit of the invention. For example, other attachments may be mounted to the handle in place of the brush attachment shown in the drawing. Also, the handle elements may be permanently mounted together, such for example, by means of a common ct, and the gripping action of the attachment holding members supplied by a spring". -t is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not to be limited to any particular form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are expressly set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A holder and handle for the support of an attachment comprising a pair of elongated complementary handle elements, an extension at one end of each of the handle elements. resilient attachment gripping means carried by each of said extensions remote from the respective handle element, said resilient attachment gripping means extending outwardly from opposite lateral sides of each of said extensions, and mutually engaging interlocking means carried by each of the handle elements for locking the handle elements together in abutting relationship, the attachment gr means of the two handle elements being urged into clamping engagement with oppo- 4 site sides of the attachment for the support thereof when the handle elements are locked together, and the attachment being released when the handle elements are detached and separated.

2. A holder and handle as set forth in claim I wherein the resilient attachment gripping means formed on each handle element comprises at least two outstretched arms.

3. A holder and handle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the attachment supporting and of one of the handle elements is provided with a curved tongue formation and the attachment supporting end of the other handle element is provided with a companion slot to receive said curved tongue formation.

4. A holder and handle for the support of an attachment comprising a pair of elongated complementary handle elements, an extension at one end of each of the handle elements, a pair of outstretched arms extending laterally outwardly from each of the extensions, said arms being resiliently connected to the respective extensions, mutuallyengaging interlocking means carried by each of the handle elements for locking the handle elements together in abutting relationship, the outstretched arms of one handle element and the outstretched arms of the other handle element clamping the attachment therebetween when the handle elements are locked together, and the attachment being released when the handle elements are detached and separated, and means remote from the bandle elements for locking the extensions together.

5. A holder and handle for a circular brush comprising a pair of elongated complementary handle elements, an extension at one end of each of the handle elements, a pair of outstretched arms extending laterally outwardly of each of said extensions, said arms being resiliently connected to the respective handle element, mutually engaging interlocking means carried by each of the handle elements for locking the handle elements together, the arms of one handle element and the arms of the other handle element clamping the attachment thercbctween when the handle elements are locked together, and the attachment being released when the handle elements are detached and separated, and means remote from the handle elements for joining together the extensions through the center of the circular brush.

6. A holder and handle for a brush comprising of elongated complementary handle elements, an extension at one end of each of the handle elements, a slot formed in one of said extensions, tongue means engageable with said slot formed in the other of said extensions, a pair of arms extending outwardly of each of said extensions, one arm extending outwardly from one lateral side of the extension and the other arm extending ontwardly from the other lateral side of the extension, said arms being resiliently connected to the respective handle element, and mutually engaging interlocking means carried by each of the handle elements for locking the handle elements together, whereby the brush is attached to the holder and handle by inserting the tongue means within the slot and by placing the brush between the arms of the one handle element and the arms of the other handle element before bringing the complementary handle elements together in interlocking relationship so that the brush is clamped therebetween.

7. A holder and handle for the support of a cleaning implement comprising a pair of elongated handle elements. a pair of arms extending outwardly at one end of each of said handle elements, one arm extending outwardly from one lateral side of the handle element and the other arm extending outwardly from the other lateral side of the handle element, one of said elements having a slot formed therein at the cleaning implement supporting end, the other having a curved tongue formation adapted to be received by said slot, the engagement of said tongue formation with said slot serving to lock the attachment supporting ends of the handle elements together, and means for locking :1 pair the handle elements operatively together for the attachment of the cleaning implement, the cleaning implement being clamped between the arms of one of the handle elements and the arms of the other handle element when the handle elements are locked together, and said arms releasing the cleaning implement when the handle elements are unlocked and separated.

8. A holder and handle as set forth in claim 6 including male and female engaging formations on said handle elements for facilitating the locking of said handle elements together.

9. A holder and handle as set forth in claim 6 wherein the ends of the handle elements opposite the implement supporting ends are provided with adjacent overlapping projections which may be moved relatively to separate the handle elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 519,329 Granger May 8, 1894 691,415 Tessier Jan. 21, 1902 1,451,400 Moe Apr. 10, 1923 10 2,423,658 Priem July 8, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 374,492 Great Britain June 10, 1932 827,344 Germany Jan. 10, 1952 

